LIFE GOES ON
by darling delaney
Summary: Jude gets the break he has always dreamed of when an art promoter takes an interest in him while Lucy also has a number of projects as a freelance writer. The success comes at an opportune time as their family of five need a bigger place. Can Jude and Lucy buy their dream home. Follows on from You've Got TO Hide Your Love away and Lady Madonna
1. Chapter 1 The Breakthrough

LIFE GOES ON CHAPTER 1 IT'S GETTING BETTER

The twins were now 18 months old. They still slept in Jude and Lucy's room but it wouldn't be long before they would need their own bedroom. It would mean having to move to a bigger apartment, a subject which Lucy brought up at breakfast one February morning. She had just fed the twins and Julie was eating her porridge.

"It sure is crowded with us all here," she remarked to Jude who was finishing his coffee. "I think we'll have to see about moving soon."

"Are we gonna move, Mommy?" asked Julie.

"Well, with Sean and Loretta getting bigger we're going to need more room. I'm sure you won't want to share your room with both of them."

"There's no rush, love," said Jude. "The kids won't need their own rooms for a while yet."

"Still, I think we should start looking soon," said Lucy. "There's always so many people looking for apartments."

"Yeah, we will, don't worry," said Jude calmly. He drank the last of his coffee then smiled to himself. He had his own plans around that – he hoped.

Fifteen minutes later he put on his coat and went out. "I'll be back by lunchtime, love," he called to Lucy who was tidying up the small kitchen.

"OK," called Lucy. "I'm calling round to the magazine this afternoon so you can keep an eye on the kids." Then she turned to Julie. "Hurry up and put your coat on, honey. You'll be late for kindergarten."

Jude kissed his kids and Lucy goodbye before going down to the street. It was a chilly day as he made his way to his appointment – with an art promoter. He had submitted some paintings and was hopeful of them being accepted for an exhibition. He also did graphic art and was the resident designer for Strawberry Jams record company. But his real dream was to have a major art exhibition. If this worked out he could fulfill another dream he and Lucy shared – which would make their hunt for a new apartment unnecessary. And as he approached the offices after getting off the subway at Midtown he had a good feeling.

He shook hands with the casually dressed art promoter. Jude had put on a smart suit and he felt quite overdressed. The art promoter, who introduced himself as Miles Hamilton, had a refined English accent.

"Ah, Mr Feeny. It's splendid to meet you."

"Likewise," replied Jude.

"Ah, an Englishman like myself. And that accent – unmistakably Liverpudlian. They have a rather good art college. Did you go there?"

"No. I'm more or less self-taught. Although I have done some night time art courses since coming to New York."

"Well, sometimes the natural artist is the best. That's certainly true in your case."

"Does that mean you like my work?" Jude felt hope rising within him.

"Like it, old chap? I positively adore it. Such a variety. Like the series A Day In The Life which captures New Yorkers going about their everyday work – in occupations as diverse as dockworkers and construction workers right up to Wall Street bankers. Then there was the picture of the Yellow Submarine. Prosaic enough but making it yellow really made it stand out. And those abstract pictures – amazing. But the ones I liked most were those of the blonde woman – they capture a wonderful combination of beauty and vulnerability and strength. Like the one called In The Sky with Diamonds. It transforms one on a fantasy journey."

"That's my wife," said Jude proudly.

"Ah – and the children in the picture entitled Lady Madonna, Baby at your Breast. Are they yours too?" Jude nodded.

"I particularly liked that one," continued Miles. "Tastefully erotic. You have a real eye for the erotic, Mr Feeny – but it never becomes vulgar. I'm very impressed with your work and I'm confident that we can sell most if not all of it."

"That's fantastic!" exclaimed Jude. "Mr Hamilton."

"I really think that the time for formalities is over," said Miles. "Please call me Miles – and may I call you Jude?"

"You can call me whatever you like," grinned Jude. "This is the biggest exhibition I've ever had."

"And I have a feeling that there'll be many more," smiled Miles. "You have a real talent. There's a fantasy element in your work which makes it stand out. Congratulations, Jude."

Miles shook Jude's hand and his gaze turned to the Lady Madonna painting. "You're very lucky to have such a wife. She's turned out to be a lucky muse and I've a feeling that she's even more beautiful than her portraits although you capture her well. Is she an artist too?"

"No, she's a writer. Lucy Carrigan Feeny. She writes features for several publications."

"Ah, a pair of Bohemians shunning the conventional."

"Well, we do have to work to pay the bills like everyone else."

Out on the street Jude looked for a call box to phone Lucy but he couldn't see one nearby. He began to walk along Broadway, he was bound to find one soon.

He was walking past a real estate agents – and his eye caught a house he remembered seeing many months ago on that fateful day when Lucy went to labour. The house, that although somewhat run down, had such potential. He saw the notice. Family house for sale on outskirts of city. In need of some renovation."

The last fact meant that the house might be affordable – and especially with the good news that he had heard. He went into the office.

life. going about their everyday life. idtown he had a good feeling.

one Febr


	2. Chapter 2 Our House

LIFE GOES ON CHAPTER 2 OUR HOUSE

It was two weeks later. Lucy had had some free time and she had been playing tennis with Emily, her high school friend who also lived in New York. Her figure was now back to normal so the exercise seemed to be paying off.

From next week she would be writing an assignment on the consequences of drug use – a topic she knew something about. After his traumatic experience in Vietnam Max had dabbled in drugs. Thank God he was clean now. Lucy wondered if he would be prepared to talk about it. It would show the horrifying effects of war and how it screwed people up. In fact she had quite a few projects on the go. It was lucky she was able to work from home with the twins still so small. But she was finding the apartment cramped these days with five of them. They would have to start hunting soon but Jude didn't seem that pushed. Lucy would have to have another talk with him.

"Hey, Lucy." Lucy turned to see Jude driving Max's car. "Get in, love."

"Where are we going?" asked Lucy, puzzled.

"On a magical mystery tour."

"Lucy noticed that Sean and Loretta were strapped into the back seats. "Are you taking them out?" she asked.

"Yeah. The ride will do them good."

"But what about Julie? She needs to be picked up at 3.30."

"We'll be back by then. And even if we're not we can get Max or someone to collect her."

"OK," said Lucy, getting into the passenger seat. She wanted to start on her articles but a short trip wouldn't do any harm- and any chance she had to spend time with Jude was welcome.

As they sped along Lucy recognized the route. "We've been here before," she said quietly. "Remember?"

"How could I ever forget?" smiled Jude.

Lucy turned to the twins. "This is where you let Mommy know that you wanted to come out. You sure picked a good time for that. I thought I was going to have you both in the field. So where are we going?" Lucy now turned back to Jude.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you."

Seeing that she wasn't going to get anything more out of her husband Lucy took a newspaper out of her bag and began to read it. Maybe Jude wanted them to skinny dip in a lake and then make love in the woods – but then why would he bring the twins?

Jude stopped the car abruptly then turned to Lucy with a smile.

"OK, let's go for a walk."

"We'll have to carry the twins," said Lucy. They were fast asleep, their small faces angelically peaceful. "I don't suppose you thought to bring their pushchair."

"They'll be fine here," replied Jude. "I just want to show you something. It won't take long."

To her amazement Jude whipped out a scarf and had blindfolded Lucy before she knew what had happened. "Jude!" she gasped. "What are you doing?"

"I'm blindfolding you." Jude stated the obvious. "I told you, I've a surprise."

Lucy heard Jude come and open the door. He took her hand and helped her out.

"Just step down, that's it. Don't worry, I won't let you fall."

Jude guided Lucy for about a hundred yards. Walking in a blindfold was scary but Lucy trusted Jude. She did wonder what he was going to show her. Was it a landscape he had been secretly working on?

Jude stopped and removed the blindfold. Lucy blinked as the light hit her eyes – then she found herself standing on a quiet road with a small row of houses. And one stood out. Two storeys with a porch and a generous garden. The paint was peeling in places, the windows were dusty, and the roof needed mending in places. But she could see in her mind's eye how it could look – and it was ideal for the five of them.

"This is the house that I saw the day I went into labor," said Lucy softly. "And we were saying – how perfect it would be for us once it was done up. But Jude –why have you brought me here?"

Jude stepped in front of his wife and looked at her with his soft brown eyes as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm going to buy it – for us." He went on as he saw Lucy's mouth open in amazement. "Miles Hamilton, the art dealer, liked my paintings and he's agreed to exhibit them. He reckons he can sell 'em all. It means we can afford a house of our own – which is what we've always wanted." Jude paused. "So if you say yes, Mrs Feeny – we have our dream home."

"Jude!" exclaimed Lucy, unable to believe this. "I don't know what to say."

"All you have to say is yes." Jude touched her cheek then gently pushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

Lucy looked at him, her eyes shining like diamonds and Jude's heart clenched with love. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"Oh, Jude," she finally whispered. "Once we have this house we'll have everything we want."

They stood locked in each other's arms a few moments before pulling apart and looking at what would be their home.

"It's going to need a lot of work," said Jude. "But what kind of artist am I if I can't make it look good? I can do some murals – perhaps the sky in our room – and the kitchen can be like a yellow submarine – and the living room can be painted like strawberry fields. Oh, Lucy, it's going to be fantastic!"

"Strawberry fields," repeated Lucy thoughtfully. "That's a good name for the house." She pointed to the garden and sure enough, there were strawberry bushes growing.

"We'll fill this garden with flowers," continued Lucy. "And there'll be a lawn for the kids to play."

"And talking of the kids – let's show them what'll be their new house," said Jude.

"I don't remember the way there because you blindfolded me," teased Lucy.

Jude laughed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the car a few yards away. The babies were still asleep and were awakened gently.

"Come and see where you'll be living, sweetheart," Jude said to Loretta who nestled her dark head contentedly against his shoulder. Lucy carried Sean who seemed intrigued by all the grass and trees.

Once at the house they allowed the twins to toddle around the garden. Both could walk with the odd fall. Lucy and Jude followed them, their arms around each other. They couldn't yet get into the house but they could imagine the interior. And Julie and the twins would be able to run in the garden every day.


	3. Chapter 3 Strawberry Fields

LIFE GOES ON CHAPTER 3 STRAWBERRY FIELDS

Once the sale had been finalized Lucy and Jude worked like slaves on the house with some help from Max, Billy and Jojo. They scrubbed away layers of dust and grime from top to bottom, mended rooftiles, replaced broken floorboards, plastered and painted walls and varnished doors. The kids played in the garden although Julie sometimes liked helping with the painting. Jude wondered if she would be an artist too. She certainly liked messing around with paint.

Jude and Lucy were due to move in the following week. They were in the place tidying up and doing some final jobs. Jude came out of Julie's room which he had painted pink with animal murals.

"I won't hear the last if I haven't finished that," he laughed.

"It looks good," smiled Lucy. They were in the living room which was painted in various shades of red and cream. "And now we're finally finished I think it calls for a celebration."

She went to her bag and took out a bottle of wine. She went to the kitchen and took two cups they used for coffee while working in the house.

"These will have to do for now," she said. When the wine had been poured they sat on cushions on the floor.

"Cheers," said Jude as they clicked cups and drank, snuggled close together. He put his arm around Lucy and kissed her sweet-tasting mouth.

"I can't wait to move in," he said. "To have a real house with a real garden – it's what I've always dreamed of."

"Didn't your house in Liverpool have a back yard?"

"Yeah – a yard alright. But what we call yards in England are usually a small concrete space – which is all we had. Don't you remember?"

Lucy nodded, remembering their trip to Liverpool some years ago. Jude's childhood home had been small and had had none of the luxuries she had known in her family home – no bathroom or indoor toilet. She still remembered the shock when she had wanted a bath on their first night and Jude had pointed to a tin tub in the kitchen. Still, it had been homely – maybe more than the rather large house she had grown up in. This house was about right. It had enough space but wasn't so big as to be impersonal.

Jude now held Lucy close to him as she reached out and stroked his cheek. He undid her loose ponytail and her hair fell over his hands like soft silk. As their mouths met they slid onto the floor, oblivious to its hardness. Their bodies curved into each other's – warm, living as they slowly shed their clothes. Lucy groaned as Jude kissed her naked body all over and he felt her gentle hands warm and sensual on his back and shoulders – and on the floor of their new house they made love.

Lucy was the first to wake. Jude's arms were wrapped around her and she could feel the rise and fall of his chest on which her head rested. She felt the way she always did when in her husband's arms – safe and protected.

It was starting to get dark outside. Lucy looked at her watch and jerked up. My God, it was 9pm. Max was looking after the kids, he must wonder where the hell they were. She gently shook her husband.

"Jude! Wake up!"

Jude opened his eyes and groaned sleepily. Then seeing the darkness of the room he sat up. "Wha' 'appened?" he asked, looking around confused.

"We fell asleep," said Lucy. "But we'd better get back to our kids. Don't worry, I'll drive. You're too sleepy."

"Yeah," said Jude, getting up and looking around for his shoes. "God, this was nearly our first night in this place and we haven't even got the furniture in."

"We'll have many nights here," smiled Lucy as she picked up her bag and took the car keys from Jude's pocket. "And they'll be more comfortable."

"Which reminds me," said Jude. "We'd better check on that van hire tomorrow or we'll be spending our first night here in the bath."

It was the weekend and they were moving into the house. The kids were running around the garden, thrilled at such freedom after living in an apartment. Julie was given strict orders to take care of the twins and she was dragging each by the hand despite their loud protests that they wanted to walk themselves. The men were carrying in the last of the furniture and Jude and Lucy were about to go in and straighten up.

Suddenly Jude grabbed Lucy's arm. "Wait! There's something I have to do."

"What's that?" asked Lucy.

Jude swept her up into his arms. "I have to carry you over the threshold."

"You did that when we were married."

"Yeah, but this is the first place that's totally ours. And I have a feeling we'll be here for good so I might not have the opportunity to do this again."

Lucy wound her arms around Jude's neck as he stepped into the house, setting her down once they were in the sitting room. The removal men were scurrying around but the young couple hardly noticed them as they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. They had their own home, their family, their respective careers and above all each other. Life was good.

Lucy looked around the place. "I think you're right Jude. I think this will always be our home. Strawberry Fields forever."


End file.
